1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to games such as board games, wherein points are accumulated by completing an electrical circuit that is built into the game board. More particularly, the present invention relates to a game where a target point on the game board is randomly selected after every successful turn. The player that lands upon the target point during his/her turn attempts to complete an electrical circuit, and if successful, advances in the game.
2. Prior Art Description
The prior art is replete with board games that rely upon chance in the playing of the game. In many games, the element of chance is created by the roll of dice, the spinning of a wheel or the selection of a card. A more entertaining form of chance can be created by randomly altering the characteristics of the game board upon which the game is played. By altering the characteristics of the game board, the game is literally never the same twice. This adds to the interest of the game and keeps players from quickly becoming bored from playing the game.
Since randomly changing the characteristics of a game board is a fairly complex task, few games require the players to actually physically manipulate the game board into different orientations. Rather, most games that have randomly changing board characteristics are electronic. The changing of the board is done electronically or physically through the use of electric motors. This prevents the players from having to change the game themselves, thereby promoting the ease of playing the game and the entertainment value it provides.
A common type of prior art game device that changes each time it is played is a game that uses electrical contacts beneath the playing surface of the game board. Such games use probes or pegs that extend through the game board and engage the electrical contacts below. By electronically or physically altering which contacts complete a circuit, the game can be changed each time it is played. Such prior art game devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,806 to Nathanson, entitled MINEFIELD GAME; U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,044 to Matsumoto entitled ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BOARD GAME; U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,567 to Marker, entitled PROBE CHANCE DEVICE HAVING ELECTRICAL SIGNALLING READOUT; U.S. Pat. No. 2,766,988 to Haumersen, entitled CHANCE CONTROLLED ELECTRICAL GAME; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,232,133 to Warden, entitled GAME APPARATUS. A problem with many of these games is that the mechanisms for changing the contacts under the game board are highly complex. This makes the game difficult to manufacture and very expensive. Another common defect with such games is that they require a high degree of coordination in order to place the probes in the small holes on the game board. This makes such games unenjoyable and/or unplayable by many younger children.
Recognizing that many people, especially children, are incapable of inserting probes into narrow peg holes, games have been developed in the prior art that passively effect electrical contacts positioned below the game board. Many such prior art games use game pieces with magnets embedded within them. As the playing piece passes over a specific position on the board, the magnetic field from the magnet is used to effect a reed switch or similar contact disposed below the board. Such prior art games are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,770 by Knetzger, entitled ELECTRONIC BOARD GAME, U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,368 to Ryan, entitled ELECTRONIC GAME APPARATUS and U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,300 to Winkler, entitled SENSORY GAMES. A problem with such games is that in order for the magnetic game piece to effect the switch within the game board, the playing piece must be positioned exactly over the switch. This need for the exact placement of the playing piece requires coordination skills and concentration abilities not typically possessed by small children. Such games are therefore not meant to be played by younger children.
A need exists in the art for a game that changes each time it is played, is easy to operate, easy to play by a young child, and is inexpensive to manufacture. The present invention game apparatus meets these objectives in the form of a pirate adventure game. Although other games exist based on pirate adventures, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,671 to Smith entitled GAME BOARD APPARATUS, no game in the prior art contains the unique elements of the present invention as described and claimed below.